The Lily-of-the-Valley Fragrance Receptor - Potential in Prostate Cancer Imaging

Introduction: The detection of lymph node metastases is decisive for the prognosis and therapeutic strategy in patients suffering from prostate cancer. However, the identification of lymph node metastases by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often very difficult and biopsies are necessary. Materia...

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Published in:Tissue engineering. Part A 2009-03, Vol.15 (3), p.714-714
Main Authors: Heckl, S, Sturzu, A, Naegele, T, Ernemann, U
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Introduction: The detection of lymph node metastases is decisive for the prognosis and therapeutic strategy in patients suffering from prostate cancer. However, the identification of lymph node metastases by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often very difficult and biopsies are necessary. Materials: To enable differentiation between prostate cancer cells and other tumor cells by gadolinium tetraazacyclododecane tetraacetic acid (DOTA) we coupled it to aminoundecylic aldehyde. Undecylic aldehyde is the inhibitory ligand of burgeonal, which binds to the lily-of-the-valley fragrance receptor (human odorant receptor hOR 17-4). Until now no activating or inhibitory ligands of odorant receptors have found use in cancer diagnostics. To track the conjugate by confocal laser scanning microscopy it was further coupled to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). Results: Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and con-focal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed that the FITC-labelled conjugate predominantly stained prostate cancer cells (PC3, LNCaP) whereas other malignant cells [colon cancer (Colo205), glioma (U373), osteosarcoma (U2OS), cervix carcinoma cells (HeLa), lymphoma cells (Jurkat)] were not markedly stained. No cytotoxic effects were seen even after long time incubation for 48 hours. Magnetic resonance imaging showed that comparable to FACS and CLSM prostate cancer cells could be differentiated from the other cancer cells upon their shorter relaxation times (higher signal intensity) after incubation with Gd-DOTA-FITC-aminoundecylic aldehyde. Conclusion: The present investigation showed that a fluorescent Gd-DOTA contrast agent containing undecylic aldehyde can distinguish prostate cancer cells from other tumour cells. Such agents could be used for future magnetic resonance imaging of prostate cancer lymph node metastases.
ISSN:1937-3341
1937-335X